By Aleksander Boyd

MINSK. Sept 4 (Interfax) - A Belarussian governmental delegation is
paying an official visit to Venezuela to implement the accords reached
during the Minsk visit of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a source in
the governmental press service told Interfax.

Belarus is ready to set up an oil joint venture in Venezuela,
Belarussian Security Council State Secretary Viktor Sheiman told the
press after the July visit of a Venezuelan delegation.

Belarus is considering "cooperation with Venezuelan oil companies
in the production of oil," Belgeologia Deputy Director for Oil and Gas
Yaroslav Gribik told Interfax.

Belarus is ready to develop oil fields in Venezuela on
concessionary terms and to sell the oil to the United States. "If
Belarus manages to secure a position on the Venezuelan oil market, we
could produce oil and sell it to the United States. The profits would
help to develop Belarusian oil refineries," he said.

The survey and assessment of oil blocs, and the design and
construction of oilrigs are promising areas for Belarus, he said.

Belarus views Venezuela as a gateway to the Latin American market,
he said.

Is that unknown source for real? Mind you, are we to believe that Hugo Chavez will open Venezuela's energy door to Lukashenko so that he can take a chunk out of the US-Venezuela energy trade? Is Hugo that stupid? And what should one make about "Belarus views Venezuela as a gateway to the Latin American market" (sic)? A gateway for what, its inherited soviet arsenal?